Wasting+Minds

If you are a comprehensive ASCD member, you received a book recently entitled //Wasting Minds//. It is authored by Ronald Wolk, founder and former editor of //Education Week, Teacher Magazine, and Quality Counts//. Although my first reaction to the title was a negative one, I find myself agreeing with everything he has to say.

Maybe it's the grouchy old man in me, but I found myself resonating with his ideological path through education - from fervent supporter of public schools to one who is now questioning if we can achieve what is expected within the current system. I found the first half of the book to be incredibly insightful and the second half to align perfectly with what we discussed on Friday.

Part 1: Flawed Assumptions
Here are the assumptions he debunks in the first half of the book: 1. Students are not performing adequately because they and their teachers don't work hard enough. The solution is a "get tough" policy like No Child Left Behind. 2. The key to improving student performance and closing the achievement gap is to establish rigorous content standards and a core curriculum for all schools - preferably on a national basis. 3. Standardized test scores provide an accurate measure of student learning and should be used to determine promotion and graduation. 4. The United States should require all students to take Algebra in the 8th grade and higher-order math in high school largely in order to increase the number of scientists an d engineers and thus make us more competitive in the global economy. 5. We need to put a highly qualified teacher in every classroom to deliver an excellent education to every student and improve our schools. 6. Having an effective principal in every school would make the difference between a school that works and one that doesn't. 7. The student dropout rate can be reduced by dropout prevention programs and raising the mandatory attendance age from 16 to 18. 8. Making the school day and school year longer will increase student learning. 9. If we invest more money in public schools, we will be able to provide every student with an excellent education.

Part 2: A Second, Parallel Strategy
Page 181 - So common sense suggests that at the very least we pursue a second strategy based on the very different set of assumptions outlined in the second part of this book. We need to adopt a parallel strategy of creating new schools of human scale that are innovative and very different from conventional schools and each other - that personalize education and evaluate learning based on student work and performance not standardized test scores.

//**One Student at a Time**// - To help motivate children and maximize their abilities, we must educate them one at a time and tailor their education to their interests and needs. //**Start Them Early**// - High-quality preschool programs and good elementary schools lay the foundation for educational success by stimulating students' curiosity and providing them with the basic skills they need to succeed in later years.
 * //Many Pathways to Success//** - The more educational opportunities available to young people both in and out of school, the more likely they are to find a pathway to success that is compatible with their unique needs and talents.
 * //Life to Text//** - Students will learn more and remember more of what they learned if they learn in real-world contexts, which also reduces boredom and disciplinary problems, stimulates more parental involvement, inspires self-confidence and responsibility in youth, and motivates them to learn.
 * //It's the Work That Counts//** - Student assessment based on multiple measures, focusing mainly on the student's actual work, is a better and fairer way to evaluate student performance than standardized tests.
 * //A New Role for Teachers//** - We are more likely to get effective teachers if we educate them differently and modify their traditional role as instructors.
 * //A Matter of Choice//** - Choice is essential to a new-schools strategy. Students and their parents should be able to choose their school and other educational opportunities through open enrollment in states and districts and unlimited charter schools.
 * //Schools for Digital Natives//** - If schools are to adequately serve students who have grown up in the digital age, they must incorporate and integrate the new technology into their structure, curriculum, pedagogy, and culture in ways that enhance learning.